# Architectural Digest vs Men's Journal

The clearest difference is monetization model: Architectural Digest at free with in-app purchases against Men's Journal's subscription. Architectural Digest also leads on chart position (#173 vs unranked). Men's Journal's advantage is ratings volume (1.4K vs 460) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Architectural Digest sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Men's Journal sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Architectural Digest holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 460 and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Architectural Digest's written reviews are positive against 24% of Men's Journal's.

Architectural Digest ships an update every 4 months, Men's Journal every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Architectural Digest | Men's Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (460 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/architectural-digest/id533890256/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mens-journal/id704541444/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 460 | **1.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **28.8% of reviews** | 24.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#173** | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289380416) | [The Arena Platform, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1254283616) |

## What reviewers say

### Architectural Digest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/architectural-digest/id533890256)

**Currently charting:** #173 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Explore the world's most stunning homes and get insights into architecture and interior design. Discover top talent and exclusive content from the international authority on design.

**Highlights:** Exclusive access to beautiful homes, Architecture and interior design insights, Information on art, antiques, and travel, AD100 list of top architects and designers, Complimentary articles for non-subscribers

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One Month Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Discounted Subscription Holiday 2015 | $14.99 | per year |
| One Year Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| December 2013 | $5.99 | one-time |
| April 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| June 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| July 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| December 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| February 2015 | $5.99 | one-time |
| March 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Inspiring content
- 🎨 Sophisticated design
- 📷 Excellent photography
- 🏠 Curated home tours

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult navigation
- 🔍 Unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Lack of landscape mode
- 📱 Incompatibility with subscriptions
- 🔍 Confusing subscription management

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and stability issues
- Inability to download or access issues
- Subscription syncing problems across devices

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode for two-page spreads
- Improved navigation and content organization
- Seamless subscription management and linking
- Enhanced image viewing and zoom capabilities
- Accessibility features for visually impaired users


### Men's Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mens-journal/id704541444)

Discover in-depth stories on travel, gear, entertainment, automotive, design, style, food, and health. This app profiles inspiring men and offers guidance for navigating the world and performing at your best.

**Highlights:** Award-winning stories, Travel and adventure guides, Gear reviews, Entertainment and automotive features, Style and design inspiration, Food and health content, Profiles of accomplished men

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 240 March | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 252 March 2015 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 253 March 2015 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 261 December 2015 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 264 March 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 265 April 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 266 May 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 270 September 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 273 December 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Men's Journal Magazine Issue 249 December | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent magazine
- 🗞 Great content and variety
- 📱 Well-formatted for iPhone

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and issues downloading
- 🔍 Difficulty accessing content with subscription
- 🕰 Slow to update with new issues
- 📞 Poor customer support and responsiveness

**Reported bugs**

- Issues not downloading with valid subscription
- Account not recognized or issues restoring purchases
- App freezing and requiring reinstallation

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to save reading progress
- Improved navigation and page-turning


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Architectural Digest free?

Architectural Digest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Men's Journal free?

Men's Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Architectural Digest or Men's Journal?

Architectural Digest is rated higher. Architectural Digest averages 4.7 out of 5 from 460 ratings, while Men's Journal averages 4.5 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Architectural Digest or Men's Journal have ads?

Neither Architectural Digest nor Men's Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Architectural Digest or Men's Journal?

Architectural Digest ships an update every 4 months, and Men's Journal every 3 months. Most recently, Architectural Digest was updated on November 1, 2026 and Men's Journal on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*